March 24, 2008
Katherine Trinidad
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-3749
katherine.trinidad@nasa.gov
Candrea Thomas
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
321-867-2468
candrea.k.thomas@nasa.gov
MEDIA ADVISORY: M08-064
NASA'S SPACE SHUTTLE ENDEAVOUR TO LAND WEDNESDAY
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The space shuttle Endeavour crew is expected to
complete its 16-day flight to the International Space Station with a
landing at NASA's Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday, March 26.
The STS-123 mission began March 11 and delivered the first segment of
the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo laboratory and the
Canadian Space Agency's two-armed robotic system, known as Dextre.
The flight also brought a new crew member to the station and will
return an astronaut who has spent nearly seven weeks aboard the
complex.
NASA managers will evaluate weather conditions at Kennedy before
permitting Endeavour to return to Earth. Wednesday landing
opportunities at Kennedy are at 7:05 p.m. EDT and 8:39 p.m. The
shuttle's backup sites for landing, Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.,
and White Sands Space Harbor, N.M., will not be activated Wednesday.
Two hours after landing, NASA officials will hold a media briefing to
discuss the mission. The participants will be:
- Bill Gerstenmaier, NASA associate administrator for Space Operations
- Kaoru Mamiya, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency vice president
- Canadian Space Agency representative
- Mike Leinbach, NASA Space Shuttle Launch Director
After touchdown, the astronauts will undergo physical examinations and
meet with their families. The STS-123 crew is expected to hold a news
conference at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, March 27. Both news events will be
broadcast live on NASA Television. Media interested in participating
must pick-up their badges on March 26.
The Kennedy News Center will open for landing activities at 8 a.m.
Wednesday and close at 11:59 p.m. The STS-123 accreditation badges
are in effect through landing. The media accreditation building on
State Road 3 will be open on Wednesday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The last bus will depart from the News Center for the Shuttle Landing
Facility one hour before landing. For updated information about the
landing, call 321-867-2525.
In the event that landing is diverted to backup landing sites later in
the week, media should call the Dryden public affairs office at
661-276-3449 or the White Sands Missile Range public affairs office
at 505-678-1134. Dryden has limited facilities available to
previously accredited journalists. Journalists with STS-123 mission
badges from NASA will be issued credentials at White Sands Missile
Range.
For NASA TV downlink information, schedules and links to streaming
video, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/ntv
For the latest information about the STS-123 mission, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle
For more on the International Space Station, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/station
-end-